Processing

Calm then smiled and said, “When you break through to the Brass Rank, the improvement won't have such a massive leap.

“If breaking through to the Black Iron Rank is about 'tempering the entire body' and allowing it to take its first steps across the threshold of the extraordinary, then the Brass Rank is more like 'refining'—further purifying and strengthening your Constitution and life energy on your existing foundation.

“As for the exact extent of this refinement... that depends entirely on the individual.”

Matthew listened intently, feeling deeply moved. Every conversation with the instructor was incredibly rewarding.

Having an experienced elder around was truly a treasure.

“Thank you for your guidance, Instructor,” Matthew replied respectfully.

After some more casual chat, Calm gave him a few more instructions on how to dress and preserve the magical beast meat, which Matthew noted down one by one.

As the night grew deeper, Matthew said goodbye to Instructor Calm and dragged the Shadow Wolf back to his wooden cabin under the cover of night.

Pushing open the door of the cabin, a scent mixed with a faint smell of blood and herbs washed over him.

Matthew had long since grown accustomed to this smell. He shut the door behind him, blocking out the biting chill from outside.

He casually set the heavy carcass of the Shadow Wolf down in a corner near the door for the time being.

Guided by the thin moonlight filtering through the window frame, he groped his way to the table and skillfully used a flint to light the small oil lamp.

A pea-sized, warm yellow flame flickered to life, dispelling the dimness in the room.

The halo of light fell upon Matthew's face. He stood quietly for a moment, his gaze sweeping over the weapon rack in the corner, the neatly made bed, and finally landing on the silhouette of the Shadow Wolf.

A sense of fatigue and satisfaction welled up within him at the same time.

My harvest from entering the forest this time is far beyond my expectations, Matthew thought to himself.

Not only had he successfully hunted this valuable Shadow Wolf and obtained nearly ten pounds of magical beast meat, but he had also saved Dawson and his group, earning himself a favor.

Of course, what satisfied him the most was his long conversation with Instructor Calm.

It had clarified his goals after the Black Iron Rank. After all, wandering blindly on the extraordinary path was a terrifying prospect.

Finally, his primary immediate goal was to break through and raise his 【Basic Archery】 to the Practiced Rank, allowing him to develop his next combat technique!

Having tasted the sweetness of 【Melting Slash】 and experienced the utility of a bow in the forest, Matthew was naturally burning with impatience to develop an archery combat technique.

A smile played on his lips as he turned his gaze toward the Shadow Wolf carcass in the corner.

“But it's too dark tonight. I'll deal with the carcass first thing tomorrow morning.”

As soon as he spoke, Matthew felt a wave of hunger hit his stomach.

The battle and the long trek had taken a heavy toll on his energy, so he took out a few pieces of dried meat to satisfy his hunger.

After doing all this, he walked over to the bed and sat down cross-legged.

The dim yellow glow of the oil lamp illuminated his serene face.

He slowly closed his eyes, cleared his mind of stray thoughts, and immediately entered a state of meditation.

...

...

The next day.

When the first light of dawn broke, the world outside the window was already a blanket of white.

Heavy snow had quietly returned at some point during the night, fluttering down and wrapping heaven and earth in a pristine white.

A thin layer of ice had formed along the edges of the cabin's window, and a thin, cold draft seeped into Matthew's room.

However, the room was currently empty, and the faint, steady sound of chopping could be heard from outside the door.

Following the sound, in the open space beside the cabin, Matthew was half-squatting in the snow with his back to the door.

An old leather felt was spread out in front of him, and the massive body of the Shadow Wolf had already been laid flat upon it.

The white mist exhaled from his mouth quickly dissipated in the cold wind the moment it left his lips.

His fingers were already somewhat stiff from the cold, but his grip on the knife remained steady as he carefully skinned the wolf and separated the meat from the bones, strictly following the details Calm had instructed him on the previous night.

Matthew muttered to himself.

The snow had just stopped last night, only to start up again this morning, and the chill was noticeably sharper than in previous days.

The snow at the edge of the forest had already accumulated past his ankles. If it kept falling like this, even daily travel in and out of the village would probably become difficult.

“The travel time for entering and leaving the forest is going to increase again.”

After considering it last night, Matthew still decided that once his 【Basic Archery】 reached the Practiced Rank, he would head into the forest to investigate the kobold nest, but he would absolutely not go deep!

Although the kobold nest was not on the immediate outskirts, it was definitely not in the depths either, lying somewhere in between.

He would be bold within his capabilities, but he would never take unnecessary risks.

And the reason he decided to enter the forest was because the potential rewards were simply too rich...

After all!

That was a nest where a spellcaster existed; there might be unexpected harvests waiting inside.

Furthermore, the greater the changes in the forest, the more opportunities there might be.

Didn't the unusual activity of the Shadow Wolves precisely mean that Matthew would have more opportunities to hunt?

If he merely stayed holed up in the village out of fear, he would instead miss out on these opportunities.

“Although the time spent in the forest will be extended due to the snow, it's not unfeasible if I prepare more dry rations and tinder and plan my route well.”

Matthew had already made up his mind.

“The most urgent task right now is to convert this Shadow Wolf carcass into a tangible boost to my strength. Once my 【Basic Archery】 breaks through to the Practiced Rank and I develop an archery combat technique, I will have a much better handle on things when I enter the forest again.”

Strength was one's greatest source of confidence.

Since he had already embarked on this extraordinary path, there was no reason to shrink back out of fear.

Moreover, Matthew's strength was more than enough for him to move with ease around the outskirts.

This was clearly demonstrated by how he had saved Dawson and his group last night.

With this in mind, Matthew did not stop his movements. The blade sliced along the midline of the wolf's belly, carefully avoiding the internal organs. A warm, musky scent of entrails mixed with the smell of blood welled out, turning a patch of the snow beneath into a bloody slush.

He had long anticipated this, which was also why he had chosen to dress the wolf carcass outside.

The space inside the cabin was cramped. Once the carcass was gutted, the heavy smell of blood and entrails would linger for a long time.

Although this might not necessarily interfere with his meditation, Matthew still preferred to play it safe.

After all, if there were impurities or strange odors in the air, it would be harder to completely calm his mind, and the time required to enter a meditative state would also be prolonged.

At this thought, his movements quickened even further.

The internal organs were completely removed and piled into an old wooden tub to the side.

The wolf's heart was massive and still retained some warmth. Surrounding it was what Calm had referred to as the "heart meat"—dark red with a fine, dense texture, weighing about twelve pounds!

This was the true essence of the magical beast meat, harboring abundant life energy, more than enough to support his high-intensity cultivation consumption in the days to come.

“What a treasure!”

Matthew said with a smile as he looked at the twelve or so pounds of magical beast meat.